While Yuri!!! on Ice the Movie: Ice Adolescence is still trapped in production hell in MAPPA’s dungeons with no news about its release, the Yuri!!! On Ice fandom is alive and well—more alive than ever, actually, and celebrating its 6th anniversary with newly released images. The first features our beloved Yuuri Katsuki representing Japan in the Winter Olympics, big smile on his face and ring shining on his finger, while the second has Victor and Yuuri waiting together at the kiss and cry after a competition—Victor’s hand also sporting a ring, which was added later by MAPPA after fans noticed it missing when the image was first published.
Looking at these images and considering when they were released, you might guess that Yuuri actually did go on with his skating career and ended up representing Japan at the 2022 Winter Olympics, which—a) yes, Yuuri my beloved, go win that gold medal so it can match your gold ring, and also b) would be impressive considering his age.
That’s because Yuuri is 23 when Yuri!!! On Ice starts and actually turns 24 towards the end of the anime—so, assuming that YOI starts in 2016, the same year as its release, it would mean that Yuuri is 29 as he takes the ice in this year’s Winter Olympics. And of course, 29 is not “old” in general (what even is “old,” really?), but it is a borderline age for a professional figure skater to still compete at high levels—the impact this sport has on the body is brutal, and keeping up with it doesn’t get any easier.
Looking over the official ISU records for the Men’s Free Skating at Beijing and looking at the ages of the twenty-four finalists, Yuuri would have been the second-oldest at the competition—landing between Keegan Messing of Canada, who’s 30, and Japan’s own Yuzuru Hanyu (the real-life inspiration behind Yuuri), who’s turning 28 this year.
And what about Victor Nikiforov, overall icon and figure-skating legend? We actually know Victor’s full date of birth: December 25, 1989. So, Victor’s 27 years old when Yuri!!! on Ice Starts, and he decides to pack up his things and go to Japan to give Yuuri the scare of his life by surprising him in his parents’ onsen. This means that he’s 33 now (and maybe retired for good from high-level competition?) and that he would probably be in his late teens in the movie—if it ever gets released.
(image: MAPPA)
